Sewing-machine.



J. E. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rILnD 33.11.1909.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

tOLulnn PLANoauAPn aLJMMmn'wN. n. c.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

6 SHBETS-SHEBT 2.

J. E. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION YILBD APR. a, 190s.

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J. E. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION PILBD APR. 1909.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Wtncssef., j mfr, W ML l M le MM5/f Attorney J. E. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION Hmm APB. a. 1909.

1,009,165. Patented N0v.21, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

mf? fg/5%@ Attorney J. B. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. s, 1909.

1,009,165. 1 Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

'Inl/anton Attorney COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0..WAsmNGTON. D. c

J. E. MILLER. SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. a, 1909.

1,009, 165. Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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COLUMNA x'LANnonAml co., wAsnlNn'roN, n4 c.

UNITEDSTATES PAFEN T OFFICE.

JESSE E. MILLER, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE. SEWIN G-MACI-IIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application iled April 8, 1909.

Fig. 9, portions being omitted; Fig. 11 is a sectional detail elevation of a conti-'olliiig crank; Fig. 12 is a detail plan of the saine crank; Fig. 13 is a detail elevation, partially in section, of a cam wheel; Fig. 11i is a section on the line MMM: of Fig. 13; Fig. l5 is a detail of the conveycr.

y way of general description, it may be said that the apparatus illustrated by said drawings comprises (1) a frame-work snpporting a sewing head set in position for sewing a fabric passing said head in an upright plane, (2) mechanism for driving the sewing mechanism, and (3) conveying mechanism extending .from one or a plurality of bag-filling stations or machines to the sewing meclninisni from which filling stations or machines filled bags of varying sizes are indiscriminately placed upon said conveying mechanism and by the latter carried to the sewing mechanism.

A designates the frame which adjustably supports the sewing head, B.

represents the` conveyor.

are bag-filling stations or ina- 1,009,165. Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Serial N0. 488,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it kno-wn that I, JESSE E. .MILLnin a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machines, of which the following' is a specilication, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing.

My improvement. relates particularly to sewing machines .for closing filled bags, such bags being closed by sewing' across the upper end instead of tying such end.

The object of the invention is to provide such sewing' machines with a conveyor for filled bags and with sewing mechanism adapted to be quickly shifted according to variations in the height of the bags, in order that bags of varying sizes may be indiscriminately placed upon such conveyor and by the latter properly presented to the sewing head.

My improvement is herein illustrated and described in two forms. In the firstof said forms, the sewing mechanism is shifted by hand, while in the second of said forms the sewing mechanism is shifted by powerdriven mechanism controlled by the 'operator.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general plan of an apparatus embodying my impro-vement, portions being broken away; Fig. 1a is a detail elevation of worm gearing shown in the left hand portion of Fig. l; Fig. 2 is an upright section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 2 is a horizontal detail section in the middle portion of the sewing machine supporting frame shown in Fig. 2;

chines.

The frame, A, has four upright standards, l; a horizontal table portion, 2; front horizontal pieces, 3, to which are applied guide pieces, il, extending over the lateral edges of an upright rcciprocatory member, 5, (Fig. 2). Upon theupperend ofsaid menibei' is mounted a head standard, B1. Said standard supports the sewing head, B, having the depending outer arm, 132, and inner arm, B, which correspoiu'l, respectively, to the ordinary upper and lower arm or base plate of ordinary forms of sewing machines.

For the driving ot' the sewing mechanism Fig. is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, the usual band wheel, 6, on the sewing head, looking toward the right portions beine receives a band, 7, extending around said wheel and around two guide wheels, 8, on the head standard and around the wheel, 9, on the horizontal shaft, 10, located below the table, and around a wheel. 9, mounted on a standard, 9b, rising `from the table rearward of the wheels, 9, 9. Said shaft. 10, is driven by a belt, 11, from a band wheel, 12, on the horizontal power shaft, 13, mounted in bearings, 14, in the rear .frame standards, 1, 1. On said shaft, 18, are a tixed pulley, 15, and a loose pulley, 16, to receive a power belt, E, arranged for shifting by aI hand lever,

Upon the head support', S, which structure shown in Fig. 4, portions being o-niitted; Fig. 6 is a detail of the rack and lever shown in the upper part of Fig. o; Fig. 7 is a section, similar to Fig. 3, of the in which power-driven mechanism is used for changing the ele-Vatioii of the sewing head; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a portion of the structure shown by Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is horizontal section on the line 9-9 of li`ig. 7 portions being broken iway; Fig. 10 is a rear eleva-tion of the vower portion of the machine as shown in standard, B l, is a spool has two upright spindles,

44, is hinged by its upper end to the reciprocatory member, 5, and by its lower end to one end of a rocking lever, 45. Between its ends said lever, 45, is secured rigidly to a enter a spool bearing the sewing mechanism. they will with the S1, each adapted to thread to be used by By thus mounting said spools, move up and down simultaneously sewing head, whereby the distance between horizontal rock shaft, 46; and to the end 70 said spools and said sewing `head is mainof said lever opposite the end to which the tained, link, 44, is hinged, said lever supports a In the form shown in the drawings, said counterweight, W, which is to approxiconveyer, C, is constructed as follows: Parmately balance the reciprocatory member, allel horizontal base bars, 17 support stand- 5, and the parts supported thereby.

ards, 18, which in turn support at their At the right hand end of the frame, A, as

u per ends cross pieces, 19, upon which rest viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, a rigid arm, 47, is

a middle relatively wide board, 20, a front secured to the rock shaft, 46; and to said strip, 21, and a rear rising strip, 22. At the arm is coupled the lower end of an approxifoot end (the end the farther from the mately upright link, 48. The upper end of sewing mechanism) of the frame thus said link is hinged to one arm of a bell formed is a roller or band wheel, 23, having crank lever, 49, which is suitably hinged to bearings in the sliding U-shaped yoke, 24, the frame, A, in an upright plane. The confined between the base bars, 17, and bars, other arm of said bell crank lever rises above 25, arranged parallel to said bars, 17. From the table, 2. On said table is a rack, 50, said yoke, a screw-shaft, 26, extends through having four apertures, 52, to receive a short a nut, 27, which bears against the face of stud, 51, on the side of said lever. Said lethe cross-bar, 28, between said cross-bar an ver may be sprung slightly sidewise to resaid wheel, 23, said cross-bar being secured lease said stud from the apertures, 52.

to the base bars, 17 By turning said nut in As will be readily understood from the 90 the proper direction, said screw-shaft, yoke, drawings, the reciprocatory member, 5, may and band wheel may be moved away from be raised and lowered by rocking the bell or toward the sewing mechanism. Upon the crank lever, 49. One of the outer of said head ends of the bars, 17, are seated bearapertures, 52, is in proper position to enings, 32, in which is journaled the shaft, 33, gage the stud, 51, when the reciprocatory of a band wheel, 34, which is of approximember is at one limit of its movement, mately the same size as the band wheel, 23, while the other of the outer of said aperat the foot end of the conveyer. An endless tures is set in proper position to engage the conveyer belt, 35, extends the full length of stud, 51, when the reciprocatory member, 5, said conveyer frame and around the band is at the other limit of its range of move- 10 wheels, 23 and 34. Between said wheels the ment; and the two intermediate apertures, upper portion of said belt rests slidably 52, are in proper positions to engage the upon the middle boards, 20, of the conveyer stud, 51, when the reciprocatory member, 5, frame; and the lower portion of said belt "is at intermediate chosen positions. The poextends between the base bars, 17 of said -sitions and number of these apertures, 52, l( frame. The tension of said belt may be may be varied according to the elevations varied by shifting the wheel, 23, at the foot into which it is desired to place the sewing end of the conveyer. On the rear end of the head.

shaft, 33, is a sprocket wheel, 38, which re- In operation, bags are filled at any desired ceives a sprocket chain, 39, which also surnumber of bag-filling stations or machines, l rounds a sprocket wheel, 40, on the horizon- D, and the bags are set upon the conveyer, C, tal shaft, 41, resting in bearings, 42. On at points on the latter most convenient to said shaft is a worm gear wheel, 43, which said stations. Said bags are set upon the is engaged by a worm, 44, on the power conveyer with sufficient force to cause the shaft, 13. A fender, 45, is supported above iattening of their lower ends so as to form l the rear portion of the conveyer frame by a base adapting standards, 46, rising from the rear portion of said frame. The function of said fender is to support bags which lean rearward so far that they tend to fall. At the head end of the conveyer, there is a floor opening, O, for the passage of the sewed bags after they leave the conveyer.

To adapt the sewing head to sew bags of different heights while the latter stand upon the conveyer, the reciprocatory member, 5, is arranged to be set at different elevations, by means which will be next described, whereby the sewing head is correspondingly set at diii'erent elevations. An upright link,

the bags to stand upright without lateral support. In such position, each bag is carried toward the sewing head, and the attendant at said mechanism operates the bell crank lever, or lowering of the reciprocatory member, 5, and the sewing head as may be necessary by variations in conveyer; and said attendant gives such assistance as may be necessary to the sewing operation, as, for example, the drawing of the mouth of the bag parallel to the `line of travel and guiding said mouth between the arms of the sewing head. When the sewing .head moves down, the two guide wheels, 8,

the height of the bags on theA 49, for the raising downward to the table. In the table are four small, shallow recesses, 92, in which said pin may engage. The lower end of said pin is made obtusely conical so that it may readily slide out of said recesses when the 4crank is pressed laterally. Said pin, spring, and recesses constitute yielding stop mechanism by means of which said crank may be set in any one of four positions, whereby the brought above a corresponding groove, 77, in the cam wheel, 76. .ln each of said grooves on said cam wheel are apertures, 93. There are two such apertures in each of the first three of said grooves counting from the front and only one in the rear of said grooves. Through each such aperture extends a binding bolt, 911, bearing upon a washer, 95, and entering an oblong tooth or block, 96, having its base resting in the adjacent groove, said bolt being screwthreaded into said tooth. By this means, each such tooth is clamped in said groove by the one bolt, and the wall at each side of the groove prevents the lateral turning of the tooth. The radial distribution of said teeth bears a fixed relation to the crank, 55, which, as above described, is secured and the band wheel, 6, roll down on the pin is pressed band, 7; and when the sewing head moves upward, said wheels roll upward on said band. After passing said sewing head, the bags fall over the adjacent end of the conveyer and through the upon cars or wagons.

Referring now to Figs. 7 to 14, inclusive, l will describe the form of the machine emodying power-driven mechanism for changthe sewing head. The conveyer, C, frame, A, sewing head, B, standard, B1, reciprocatory member, 5, driving mechanism, etc., are the same as in the first form of the machine. A pitman, 53, is hinged by its upper end to the reciprocatory member, 5, and is joined by its lower end to a wrist, 54, of a crank, 55, mounted upon the front end of a shaft, 56, resting in bearings, 57 and 58, these bearings being at each side of a gear casing, Between the bearings, 57, 58, and within the gear easing, 59, is a worm gear wheel, 60, surrounding said shaft, 56, and above said worm gear wheel is a worm, 61, on a horizontal shaft, 62, resting in bearings. 63,

formed in part by the gear casing, 59. The rigidly tothe opposite end of the shaft, 56, portion of the gear casing above the shaft, which supports said cam wheel, 76. lt is to be observed that the grooves, 77, are formed in said cam wheel merely for the purpose of facilitating the placing of the teeth or blocks, 96. And it is also to be observed that said cam wheel might be cast or otherwise formed having said teeth integral therewith. And it is to be observed further that said cam wheel is a multiple or complex cam having engaging extensions with and thus supported horizontal frame member, G4. On one end of the shaft, 62, is a spur gear, 65, which meshes with another spur gear wheel, 66, loosely surrounding the shaft, 13, and e1n bodying a clutch member, 67. Beside said spur gear wheel, 66, is a clutch member, 68, bly surrounding said shaft, 13, and pressed toward said spur gear wheel, 66, by

56, is cast integral by the an expanding eo'iled spring, 69. Beneath 1n four planes, the teeth, 96, being such the shaft, 13, 1s a transverse horizontal rock extensions. And as a preliminary to the shaft, 70, resting in a bearing, 71, on a explanation of the operation of said compound cam, it is to be observed that each of said teeth is adapted to pass under the roller, 80, and raise the latter, and the arm, 78, and tilt the rock shaft, 70, and move the clutch arm, 75, and the clutch member, 68, away from the clutch member, 67, whereby hanger, 72, and in a bearing, 73, formed in a bracket, 74, and from said rock shaft, 70, rises a forked arm, 75, engaging the clutch member, 68. And on the shaft, 56, is mounted a drum-form cam wheel, 76, having in its perimeter four grooves, 77. On the shaft,

70, is a rigid arm, 78, forked at its upper the spur gear, 66, and the worm, 61 are put end and supporting a spindle, 79, within to rest. Thus the shaft, 56, the cam, 55, said fork. On said spindle, 79, is a small and the cam wheel, 76, cease to rotate. Tn loose roller, 80, which may be shifted lengthother words, so long as the roller or wheel,

80, is not resting upon one of the teeth, 96, the clutch member, 68, is in engagement and the shaft, 56, and the cam wheel, 76, are in rotation; but 4as soon as one of said teeth passes `beneath the roller, 80, said clutch is disengaged and the shaft, 56, and the parts thereto connected cease rotation and are bound or locked by the engagement between the worm, 61, and the worin gear wheel, 60. When the shaft, 56, again set into motion for the turning of the crank, 55, into a new position, the clutch member, 68, is allowed to be pushed into wise upon said shaft by means of a shift rod, 81, having fingers, 82, at opposite sides of said roller, 80. Said shift rod extends and an upper bearing, 87, and having at its upper end, just above the table, 2, a hand crank, 88. In the lowerportion of said hand crank is an upright aperture, 89, in which is a pin, 90, above which is an exbanding coiled spring, 91, by which said of the clutch member, 68, when the crank, 55, is turned into proper position for a certain elevation of the reciprocatory member, 5. A little farther from each side of the tooth in said line Ff-F and equi-distant from said tooth is another tooth, either of which is adapted for engagement beneath the roller, 80, `for theV disengaging of the clutch member, 68. And still farther away from each side o-f said tooth in said line F-F and equi-distant from said tooth is engagement by the spring, 69, by shifting the roller, 80, laterally until it slips off from the tooth, 96, upon which it then rests and bears upon the surface of the cam wheel, 7 6. The face of said roller is a little wider than the width of the grooves, 77, so that said roller does not enter said grooves. lhen said roller has been thus shifted, the shaft, 56, will continue to rotate until another tooth, 96, is forced beneath the roller, 80.

It will now be understood that the shaft, 56, and the crank, 55, may be stopped at any desired point by the proper placing of a tooth, 96, on the perimeter of the cam wheel, 76. For stopping said crank when it is turned to its lowest point (so that the crank pin is directly below said shaft) a tooth, 96, is so placed as to be between the shaft, 2o 56, and the spindle, 79, of the roller, 80. For stopping the crank when it is in its highest position (when the crank pin is directly above the shaft, 56) another tooth is so placed as to stand between said shafts when 2.5 said crank is above said sha-ft, 56. And in the same manner, a tooth, 96, may be set for stopping the crank in any other portion of its revolution. Provision may be made for stopping the crank in any number o positions. In the machine shown by the drawings, provision is made for four different elevations of the crank and crank pin, whereby the reciprocatory member, 5, may be put into any one o' four elevations. And it is to be observed that the crank, 55, may be stopped at either side of the upright plane in which the shaft, 56, lies, and may be stopped at the same elevation at either side of said plane for putting the reciprocatory 40 member, 5, to a chosen elevation b-etween the highest and lowest elevations of said member. For the making of such stops of the crank at either side of said plane, a double number of teeth, 96, are placed upon the cam wheel, 7 6. The cam wheel illustrated by Figs. 18 and 14 ofthe drawings is formed for setting the crank, 55, into four positions, one of which is the lowest osition of which the crank is capable and the other three of which are intermediate between such lowest and the highest position of which the crank is capable.

Theline F-F of Fig. 18 -coincides with a line extending through the spindle, 79, and shaft, 56, in Fig. 9; and the tooth, 96, in said line F-F in the upperportion of the wheel in Fig. 14C, stands for the lowest position of which the crank, 55, is capable, and since there is only one such point on said crank, only one tooth, 96, can serve for such position. At each side of the tooth, 96, which is in said line FF and equidistant from said tooth is another tooth, 96. Either of the two last mentioned teeth may be brought beneath the roller, 80, for the disengaging gage said roller, 80, for the disengagingo the clutch member, 68, for turning the crank into proper position for the lifting of the reciprocatory member, 5, to the desired height. The respective teeth, 96, for the four posit-ions above noted are placed into distinct grooves in the cam wheel, 76, and the roller, 80, may be shifted into the plane of either of said grooves and the tooth kor teeth applied to said grooves. Hence when it is desired that said roller shall be engaged by the tooth or teeth, 96, standing for any particular elevation of the crank, 55, the shift rod, 81, is moved endwise to bring said roller, 80, into such plane. The connection between said shift rod and the crank, 88, has already been explained. Each particular recess, 92, beneath said crank, 88, stands for one of said four planes or grooves of the cam wheel, 76, and said crank is shifted from one of said recesses to the other to bring the roller, 80, into the desired plane on said cam wheel, 76.

The operation is the same as in the first form of the machine, excepting that the hand crank, 88, is used in place of the bell crank lever, 49 f I claim as my invention f 1. In an apparatus of the nat-ure described, a conveyer, a sewing head located above said conveyer, power-driven mechanism for changing the elevation of said sewing head, and mechanism controlled by the operator for controlling said power-driven mechanism.

2. In an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyer, an upright reciprocatory member, a sewing head supported by said reciprocatory member, power-driven mechaciprocatory member, and mechanism controlled by the operator for controlling sai power-driven mechanism.

3. In an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyer, a sewing head located above said conveyer, power-driven mechanism for changing the elevation of said sewing head, mechanism controlled by the operator for controlling said power-driven mechanism, and spool-supporting mechaism reciprocable in unison wi h said sewing head. V

4.111 an apparatus of the nature deanother toot-h, 96, either of which may eny nism for changing the elevation of said reabove said conveyer, power-driven mechanism tor changing the elevation oi said sewmg head, a crank controlled by the operator scribed, a conveyer, an upright reciprocat-ory member, a sewing head supported by said reciprocatory member, power-driven mechanism for changing the elevation of said reciprocatory member, mechanism controlled by the operator for controlling said power-driven mechanism, and spool-supporting mechanism reciprocable in unison with said sewing head.

5. In an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyer, a sewing head located above said conveyer, power-driven mechanism for changing` the elevation of said sewing head, and a shiftable member controlled by the operator and in operative relation with said power-driven mechanism for controlling the latter.

n an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyer, a sewing head located above said conveyer, power-driven mechanismfor changing the elevation of said sewing head, and a crank controlled by the operator and in operative relation with said power-driven mechanism for controlling the latter.

7. In an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyer, a sewing, head located above said conveyer, power-driven mechanism for changing the elevation of said sewing head, a shiitable member controlled b the operator and in operative relation With said power-driven mechanism for controlling the latter, and yielding' stop mechanism 'or engaging said shiftable member in chosen positions.-

In an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyer, a sewing` head located l crank in chosen positions. J. In an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyor, a sewing head located above said conveyer, power-driven mechanism :for changing the elevation oi said sewing;l head, and clutch mechanism controlled by the operator for controlling said powerdriven mechanism.

10. In an apparatus of the nature described, a conveyer, a sewinghead located above said convcyer, mechanism for changing the elevation of said sewing head., clutch mechanism. for transmitting power to said elevation-changing mechanism, a spring normally holding said clutch mechanism operative for the transmission of power, said elevation-changing mechanlsm with said clutch mechanism for forcing the latter out of engagement, and mechanism controlled by the operator for changing the operative relations of said cam member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of April, in the year one thousand nine hundred and nine.

JESSE E. MILLER. Witnesses:

Crans KEI-In, CARRIE R. IVY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

